As the LSU women’s basketball team prepares to begin a Southeastern Conference road stretch, one fact separates the 2014 squad from last season’s.
A year ago, the Lady Tigers carried 10 players on their roster, three of whom finished with more than 1,000 minutes played at the end of the season. LSU is now carrying 13 players, expanding their bench and helping to spread the playing time over the course of recent contests.
“It makes us very difficult to scout,” said senior guard Jeanne Kenney. “If a team plays 11 players, it’s very difficult for us to scout all of them and be able to be confident and detailed. It benefits us very much that everyone gets in the game and gets the experience. We’re very lucky to have the depth that we do.”
Heading into Thursday’s contest at Missouri, nine players have more than 200 minutes logged. Seven Lady Tigers played at least 15 minutes in the squad’s most recent win against Florida.
LSU coach Nikki Caldwell said her bench has been an important asset this season.
“We want to make sure that we can tap into the depth that we have,” Caldwell said. “It’s been a plus for us. It gives us the chance to know that we have a long season ahead of us, and you can’t just key in on one combination or one player on our team.”
Kenney expected to play
Late in the second half against Florida on Sunday, Kenney suffered an ankle injury and was in obvious pain as she walked off the court on her own power.
Kenney said she will be fine to play against Missouri on Thursday.
“I’m just getting old,” Kenney said. “It hurts for a minute, then it’s OK. I just need to glue everything together. My ankle is OK.”
Tennessee experience vital
The biggest victory thus far this season for the Lady Tigers came Jan. 2 at Tennessee’s Thompson-Boling Arena.
LSU snapped a seven-game losing streak to the Lady Volunteers with an 80-77 victory in front of 14,437 spectators. It was a crowd that could intimidate any visiting player, regardless of experience.
Senior forward Theresa Plaisance said the freshmen handled it well.
“[The Tennessee] crowd was probably the biggest one I’ve ever played in front of, and just having a freshman go in there for their first away game was huge,” Plaisance said. “They’re doing a great job of handling it and staying composed. Our job is a lot easier thanks to the younger guys.”
Tennessee helped prepare the squad for its two upcoming road games against Missouri and Vanderbilt.
Plaisance said the seniors are always preparing the freshmen for the road experience.
“We have great leadership in Jeanne [Kenney] and Shanece [McKinney] and myself, and we’re trying to do a good job of keeping the younger kids mentally ready,” Plaisance said. “Some of these kids haven’t been in these venues before.”
 “I’m just getting old. It hurts for a minute, then it’s ok. I just need to glue everything together. My ankle is ok.”